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Children’s pediatricians will work in Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia, providing care for the youngest patients

The youngest patients at Providence St. Peter Hospital will now receive 24/7 care from Seattle Children’s pediatric hospitalists, pediatricians who specialize in caring for hospitalized children and infants. Six newly hired Children’s hospitalists began taking shifts at Providence St. Peter Hospital on April 1.

In addition to caring for children in the pediatric unit, Children’s pediatric hospitalists will attend at high-risk deliveries, as well as care for healthy newborns and infants in the special care nursery. They will also provide onsite emergency department consultations and be available for telephone consultations with community healthcare providers.

Children’s hospitalists will work closely with community pediatricians and the Providence Family Practice Residency Program to ensure care is well coordinated between local physicians and the hospital.

Mike Menen, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Providence St. Peter Hospital said, “Local doctors are integral partners with the hospitalists, so they know that patients and their families are receiving excellent care.”

Carlos Villavicencio, MD, Medical Director of the Regional Hospitalist Program for Seattle Children’s said, “Children’s is honored to be working alongside the Providence St. Peter Hospital team to care for Olympia area infants and children.” He added, “Our partnership helps ensure local families will not have to travel far to receive the best care possible, anytime they need it.”

Providence St. Peter Hospital recently remodeled its pediatric unit and special care nursery in 2007 and 2008 respectively, with $3 million in funds, part of a larger gift to the hospital from the estate of Bill Jones. Jones, a successful business man and the founder of Yard Birds in Centralia and Sea Mart in Olympia left the bulk of his estate to the Providence St. Peter Foundation to aid in the care for children in our community. Both of the new units feature modern design elements to accommodate clinical care and efficiency as well as patient and family comfort.

Founded in 1887, Providence St. Peter Hospital is a Catholic, not-for-profit 390-bed hospital serving the South Puget Sound region with comprehensive medical, surgical and behavioral health services. To learn more, visit www.providence.org/swsa.

About Seattle Children’s

Seattle Children’s mission is to provide hope, care and cures to help every child live the healthiest and most fulfilling life possible. Together, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Research Institute and Foundation deliver superior patient care, identify new discoveries and treatments through pediatric research, and raise funds to create better futures for patients.

Ranked as one of the top children’s hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report, Seattle Children’s serves as the pediatric and adolescent academic medical center for Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho – the largest region of any children’s hospital in the country. As one of the nation’s top five pediatric research centers, Seattle Children’s Research Institute is internationally recognized for its work in neurosciences, immunology, cancer, infectious disease, injury prevention and much more. Seattle Children’s Hospital and Research Foundation works with the Seattle Children’s Guild Association, the largest all-volunteer fundraising network for any hospital in the country, to gather community support and raise funds for uncompensated care and research. Join Seattle Children’s bold initiative – It Starts With Yes: The Campaign for Seattle Children’s – to transform children’s health for generations to come.

Seattle Children’s complies with applicable federal and other civil rights laws and does not discriminate, exclude people or treat them differently based on race, color, religion (creed), sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin (ancestry), age, disability, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state or local law. Financial assistance for medically necessary services is based on family income and hospital resources and is provided to children under age 21 whose primary residence is in Washington, Alaska, Montana or Idaho.